IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit 2024
April 24 - 25, 2024
IAAPA is back in Türkiye – for the first time in nearly a decade!
Join us for a two-day Summit in beautiful Antalya, Türkiye. Discover and experience novelties of The Land of Legends – a unique park which combines adventure and Aqua Land water park. Learn about the Turkish attraction landscape, dynamics shaping the industry, and technological opportunities for attractions. Enjoy the luxurious all-inclusive stay package from the moment of landing at Antalya Airport to your departure!
The Land of Legends
Opened in 2016 and located in Antalya, Türkiye, The Land of Legends combines a theme park and water park – both accessible with one ticket; a shopping centre; and a hotel. It is operated by the Rixos Hotel Group.
Adventure Land
The theme park is divided into Adventure Land and Masha and Bear Land of Laughter, offering something for both families and roller coaster enthusiasts.
Aqua Land
A sizeable water park with multiple slides, including Turtle Coaster, one of the world’s longest four person Rocket Blast, opened in 2023. Aqua Land also offers Tropic Lagoon, the Wild River, Tower Falls, a four-metre underwater walkway, and more.
Agenda
Registration
Lunch at the Hotel
Opening Ceremony by The Land of Legends
Opening Remarks by IAAPA
The Crossroads of Turkey's Thriving Tourism and Attractions Market
Global Trends with CEO Insights from PwC
Sustainable Shifts in the Attractions Industry Get Ready for a Better World
Celebrating Turkey’s Centennial with Merlin Entertainments’ Record-Breaking Flag and the Path to Corporate Social Responsibility
Coffee Break
AI: Discovering Opportunities Through Interactive Exploration
Elevating the Amusement Experience: The Role of AI in Tomorrow's Attractions and DOF Robotics' Integration
The Art of Attraction: Choreographing Retail Revenue with Entertainment
Get Involved with IAAPA (Optional Session)
Free Time or Work Time or Networking Aperitif at the Hotel
Networking Dinner
Transfer to The Land of Legends
Musical Boat Parade Show
Transfer to Rixos Premium Belek
Morning Operations EDUTour (Optional)
Buses to The Land of Legends
Group Photo
Presentation and Introduction to EDUTour The Land of Legends
EDUTour The Land of Legends
Networking Lunch at The Land of Legends
Waterfront Kingdom Show
Free Time at The Land of Legends
Dinner
Beach Networking Party
Canceled Add-On UNESCO Post Tour To Side
Pricing Details
| Pricing Details | ||
|---|---|---|
| IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit with two-night accommodation | €995 | €1,650 |
| IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit with three-night accommodation | €1,345 | €1,999 |
IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit ticket includes:
- Two-night accommodation (check-in Wednesday, 24 April – check-out Friday, 26 April) at luxury all-inclusive resort Rixos Premium Belek. Relevant ticket price applies.
- OR Three-night accommodation (check-in Tuesday, 23 April – check-out Friday, 26 April) at luxury all-inclusive resort Rixos Premium Belek. Relevant ticket price applies.
- All-inclusive package of breakfast, lunch, dinner, open bar.
- Shuttle from/to hotel and The Land of Legends.
- Access to all areas of The Land of Legends on Thursday, 25 April.
- EDUTour, education conference, exclusive The Land of Legends ‘beach’ party.
- SPONSORSHIP
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Sponsorship opportunities are available for the IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit 2024 from 2,000€ excl. VAT.
The Sponsor Package includes the following benefits. More details can be found in the sponsorship agreement.
Pre-event:- Sponsor acknowledgment on the IAAPA event webpage.
- Sponsor recognition on IAAPA EMEA social media platforms (where applicable).
- Sponsor acknowledgment in IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit 2024 communications.
- Sponsor recognition in Connect+ mobile app.
On-Site:
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One complimentary IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit ticket (valued 995€)..
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Sponsor acknowledgement on event signage (where applicable).
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Verbal recognition at the beginning of the event (where applicable)
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Ability to provide materials/giveaways (if possible, produced from eco materials) for distribution at registration/at the event.
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Two complimentary IAAPA EMEA Spring Summit tickets (each valued 995€) – Premier Sponsor only.
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Possibility to play a short video – Premier Sponsor only.
Type Price (excl.VAT) Premier Sponsor – exclusive – SOLD OUT €6,000 Lanyards - exclusive – SOLD OUT €4,000 Beach Party and Dinner (2nd day) – exclusive €3,500 Education Conference (1st day) - not exclusive €3,000 Education Conference (2nd day) – SOLD OUT €2,000
*For sponsoring contracts, B2B VAT rules are applicable:- For Turkish companies: 25% VAT.
- For EU companies with VAT ID: Reverse-charge procedure applies (tax-exempt on intra-community supply of goods).
- For non-EU companies: ‘place of supply of service’ rule applies (tax-exempt on outside of EU supply of services).
All sponsors must be IAAPA members.
Your participation and sponsorship is only confirmed once IAAPA Europe IVZW has received full payment. Otherwise IAAPA Europe IVZW remains the right to unilaterally terminate the sponsorship contract. Full payment is due immediately and no later than seven business days upon receipt. IAAPA will fulfil the sponsor rights upon receipt of the sponsor fee. The registration of one sponsor representative remains unconfirmed until full payment has been received. IAAPA will send you a payment link via email. Thank you in advance for following the instructions.
Contact Annadora Buonocore on +32 494 565 691 or [email protected] for further information and to become a sponsor.
- ACCOMMODATION
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IAAPA hotel will be an all-inclusive resort Rixos Premium Belek. Accommodation and all other event costs, as listed in the pricing section, are included in the event ticket. There are two price ranges to choose from: two-night accommodation stay or three-night accommodation stay. For other accommodation inquiries please contact Lucille at [email protected].
Premium Sponsor
Event Sponsors
Speakers
Thomas Buijtenweg
Thomas Buijtenweg is an accomplished professional with a passion for shaping the future of technology and entertainment. As the Coordinator of Master Game Technology, he has been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of talent, guiding them toward successful careers in research and development.
Over the last eight years, Thomas has been working in Game User Research, delving into the intricacies of player behavior, investigating how people engage with games. His insights have informed game design decisions, ensuring a more immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
Currently exploring AI in Entertainment by being at the forefront of artificial intelligence and creative industries. He envisions a world where AI seamlessly enhances day-to-day user interactions, creating novel forms of entertainment that captivate and delight.
He places a specific focus on Human-Computer Interaction. With a keen eye for usability and user experience, Thomas bridges the gap between technology and human needs.
Şöhret Pakiş
Şöhret Pakiş graduated from the Department of Economics at Boğaziçi University. She completed her master's degree in economic history at the same university. Starting her career in Human Resources at Pfizer Turkiye. Şöhret joined the Polin Waterparks team in 2004. She worked as the Brand and Communication Director for a total of 20 companies affiliated with the holding, eight of which are in Turkiye and 12 abroad.
In 2015, Şöhret has served as a member of the European M&S committee of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the world's largest attraction organization. In 2016, she has served at IAAPA EMEA M&S Committee, covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In 2022, she was awarded the 'Executive Board Award' by the World Waterpark Association (WWA), based in the United States, recognizing significant contributions to water parks and recreation. She became the first female executive from Europe and Turkiye to receive this award. In 2023, she was listed as a Turkish female executive in the Women of Influence list by Interpark magazine in the UK.
In 2021, Şöhret participated in Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan's "Open Brain Documentaries," and she developed the concept of "neurorecreation," which establishes a connection between neuroscience and recreation and attractions, presenting the first applied quantitative study on the concept. In 2022, Şöhret completed her master's degree in Neuroscience at Uskudar University's Institute of Health Sciences. She contributes to studies on the application of neuroscience in the entertainment and attraction sectors, as well as the relationship between recreation and attractions and happy cities. Her articles "Neurorecreation: A Conceptual Framework Bridging Recreation and Neuroscience" and "Leisure Flow during the COVID-19 Period" have been published in the International Journal of Recreation and Sport Science. Additionally, she contributed with her article "Rhythms in Home-Based Entertainment" to the 3rd chapter of Routledge's Research Book on Leisure Studies.
She currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors and the Brand and Education Committee Chairman at the Turkish Amusement Parks Association (TEPEA). Şöhret has served in IAAPA Hall of Fame Committee in 2023 and has been a keynote speaker and/or moderator at events such as IAAPA Attractions (USA), IAAPA Europe (EAS), WWA Show, Southeast Environment and Recreation Research Conference USA (SERR), China Amusement Conference (CAAE), European Waterpark Association Conference (EWA), Atrax, and Nature Talks. She has also been a guest lecturer on topics such as Brand and Communication, Organizational Marketing, Recreational Studies, and Entrepreneurship at Indiana (USA), Marmara, Boğaziçi, Yeditepe, Istanbul, Istanbul Technical, Uskudar, Sabancı, and Koç Universities. She is a mentor in the global She’s Mercedes platform empowering and inspiring young women entrepreneurs. She is now doing brand consultancy and the brand ambassador for companies in attractions industry.
Çetin Pehlivan
Ebru Timur
Since 2016, Timur is the CEO of KidZania Istanbul, a global edutainment centre that provides a fun and educational experience for families with children in a 10,000 square meter city. She leads a team of 160 people and collaborates with 40 purpose partners and various global and local brands, with the vision of "Get ready for a better world".
KidZania operates in 26 cities across 22 countries. In her presentation, she will share her insights on how to engage with our customers in the next decade, based on the research they conducted on the current trends and needs of children and families. She will ask us "The world is changing rapidly, what about us?" and challenge us to adapt and innovate.
Timur has a background in corporate communications, marketing, and management in sectors such as insurance, broadcasting, fmcg and NGO respectively, before joining the entertainment industry. She holds an MBA certificate from Bournemouth Business School and an Emba degree from Sheffield University and she graduated from Anadolu University Faculty of Business Administration.
Tankut Tonger
Tankut Tonger has been serving as the General Manager of Merlin Entertainments Türkiye since 2022. Graduating from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Boğaziçi University in 2001, Tonger started his career in the advertising sector, holding senior management positions for over 20 years. From 2002 to 2004, he worked as Deputy Manager at MEPAŞ / ZEDPAŞ. Subsequently, he served as Sales Coordinator at Doğan Media Group from 2004 to 2009, as well as General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Ciner Media Group from 2009 to 2011. He then worked as Deputy General Manager of Sales and Marketing at D-Smart from 2011 to 2013. Tonger served as Managing Director at Vialand Theme Park, Turkey's first theme park, from 2018 to 2022, before assuming his current role at Merlin Entertainments Turkey. Responsible for the company's operational projects and investments in Türkiye, Tonger oversees brands such as Madame Tussauds Istanbul, SEA LIFE Istanbul, and Legoland® Discovery Centre Istanbul.
Cenk Ulu
In 2001 Cenk Ulu joined the PwC Türkiye Istanbul office, and he was admitted to PwC partnership in 2007. He became the Territory Senior Partner of PwC Türkiye in December 2020. He is also a member of the PwC Europe Leadership Team. Before beginning in his role as Territory Senior Partner, in addition to the services he provided to his clients Cenk established the PwC Türkiye Tax Technology team and also served as the Leader of the team. Additionally, he was the Leader of the Client Education Department. He also served as the Leader of PwC Türkiye Indirect Tax Services.
Cenk worked as a customs expert in the Undersecretariat of Customs for five years, from 1996 to 2000. In this role, he worked exclusively on customs procedures and European Union applications.
Cenk specializes in customs and foreign trade applications, value added tax and other indirect taxes, special consumption tax, foreign exchange applications, investment incentives applications, free trade zones, transit trade, European applications and GATT, and he also lectures at the Bahçeşehir and Boğaziçi universities.
